If you’ve also just picked up the Blackstone’s griddle press like me, then you might be wondering about how to clean it. There aren’t exactly clear instructions with it, and all we know right out of the box is that it’s made of a heavy-gauge cast iron.
Thankfully, I’ve been doing some research into how to clean a press and I’ve figured out that it’s best just to treat it like a cast iron pot.
When you think of it like that, the cleaning process becomes much easier. Still unsure? Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything below so you know exactly how to care for your new griddle press!
Setting Up Your Blackstone Griddle Press
Before you even think about using your press to get it messy to begin with, you’ll need to do some things to make cleaning it a breeze. Yes, I’m talking about seasoning, of course.
Just like I’m always telling you to season your griddles, you’ll also need to season your griddle press.
This makes cleaning it so much easier because seasoning acts as a thin non-stick layer between the press and the food, making cleanup a breeze. And here’s what you’ll need to do for the griddle press:
- Remove the heat-resistant rubber grip handle from the griddle press
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
- Coat the entire griddle press lightly in the oil of your choice – vegetable, olive, flaxseed – whatever you prefer for cast iron products
- Place in the preheated oven for around 15 minutes or so – there shouldn’t be any smoke when you open the oven door, if there is, leave for another 5 minutes and check again
- Remove the griddle press and coat again in your preferred oil
- Place back in the oven for a further 15 minutes
- Repeat this twice more, or until the color of the press has darkened evenly, showing a well-seasoned coating
Once you’ve done that, your press will be so much easier to clean, so cooking with it and pressing down those burger patties and slices of bacon will be much easier.
Still, you’ll need to clean it after each use, and in the next section I’ll tell you exactly how to do it!
How To Clean A Blackstone Griddle Press
After seasoning, your Blackstone griddle press will be so much easier to clean that you won’t even need to worry about getting it looking right.
The DONT’S of Cleaning
Before I tell you how to clean your press, though, let me draw your attention to some of the things you should NEVER do!
First, don’t use soap. The last thing you want to do is strip away all that seasoning you’ve worked so hard for.
In rare circumstances, you can use a very mild dish soap to help remove very stubborn stains or stuck-on food, but for your regular cleaning after each use, avoid soap.
It will just remove the seasoning, making it even harder to get the press clean next time. And second, avoid abrasive cleaners. Anything more than the green side of a sponge is too much.
Because you’ve gone to the effort of seasoning your press, food shouldn’t stick to it easily, meaning you won’t need a steel sponge or wire brush to get your press clean. If you do, you’ll scratch off the seasoning and you’ll be back to square one.
The DO’s of Cleaning
So, those are my top two tips about what not to do, but what should you do?
- Take your griddle press and use hot, running water
- Scrub with the green, coarser side of a regular dish sponge (nothing more abrasive)
- Keep scrubbing until clean
- Dry thoroughly with paper towels
- Take the oil of your choosing again and lightly coat the press
- Because you’re just ‘topping up’ the seasoning essentially, you can simply place the press over your hot griddle (it’s great to top up the seasoning on your griddle and griddle press at the same time to get them both looking as good as new)
That’s it. Cleaning your Blackstone griddle press is as easy as that. Just remember to season it first, avoid soap at all costs, and try to avoid abrasive cleaners unless absolutely necessary.
By doing so, you’ll keep your griddle press clean and protected for future use too!
Can You Place A Griddle Press In The Dishwasher?
Before I leave you, I thought I’d address the elephant in the room: the dishwasher. I hear this debate all the time about cast iron pots and pans, so I thought I’d be proactive here to stop you guys wondering about whether or not you can place a griddle press in the dishwasher. The answer to that question is no, you can’t.
Well, ‘can’t’ isn’t strictly true – you can – but you shouldn’t. A dishwasher is a really powerful machine when you think about it, and those tablets you put in them to help get your dishes clean are pretty powerful.
Why NOT Put Your Griddle Press In The Dishwasher?
Put your seasoned press in there, and all it’s going to do is remove your seasoning again.
I get that it’s tempting just to throw all the dishes and the griddle press into the dishwasher after a long day of grilling, but if you do, you’ll have to spend over an hour re-seasoning your press all over again.
Just cleaning the press under hot running water will take you less than 5 minutes, so it makes sense to avoid the dishwasher entirely and head for the kitchen sink instead!
Today’s Round-Up
Cleaning your Blackstone griddle press can be a breeze with the proper steps. Remember to season your press before use to help create a non-stick layer that’ll make your cleaning tasks so much easier.
Then clean with hot running water and the green side of the sponge. Avoid soap and abrasive cleaners where possible, and don’t forget to season your press after every use to keep it looking and performing at its best.
And please, if you take only one thing from my post today, don’t put your press in the dishwasher…